1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a surgical measuring device and, more specifically, to a simple and cost-effective device for measuring the intravascular diameter of an anatomical duct such as a blood vessel.
2. Description of Related Art
Endovascular techniques have become increasingly important to surgeons which require a reasonably accurate measurement of the intravascular diameter of a blood vessel so that proper-sized devices are inserted and released within the blood vessel. An improperly-sized device inserted within a blood vessel may not perform the desired function or, more seriously, cause injury to the patient.
Currently, intravascular ultrasound is used to measure the inner diameter of a blood vessel. However, devices which generate and measure ultrasound signals are expensive and require costly additional technical expertise to operate. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a measuring device which facilitates the measurement of the interior diameter of a blood vessel while further providing a cost-effective method of doing so.